PENGASSAN tasks government on comprehensive TAM of refineries

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has charged the federal government to carry out a comprehensive Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) in the nation’s refineries.

This, it said, became necessary following government’s efforts to rehabilitate the refineries, which are in appalling state, while seeking for coordinated steps to resolve some of the challenges in the oil and gas industry.

The association made the call at its just concluded National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Akwa Ibom State, noting that the TAM repairs of the four refineries was to ensure optimal utilisation and delivery.

In a communique signed by its President, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson and the General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, it also called on the federal government to urgently reconvene the ministerial committee on contract and casual staffing which was chaired by the late Minister of State for Labour and Employment, James Ocholi, to address abuse of service and contract provisions in the oil and gas industry.

They resolved to resist any organisation that infringes on workers’ Rights to Freedom of Association and Lawful Assembly.

Also, PENGASSAN condenmed the anti-union posture by indigenous oil and gas companies and marginal field operators and urged Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), International Oil Companies (IOCs) and Ministry of Labour and Employment to call such companies to order.

“We call on the Federal Government to come out with distinct plans and implementation strategy for crude supply to the Refineries. We reaffirm our commitment to collaborate with other stakeholders to ensure passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and will ensure that the lacunas, particularly the adverse labour clauses identified in the Bill are addressed before its passage.

“The NEC-in-session also notes the positive impact of the planned modular and other private refineries on the industry and the economy. It, therefore, emphasises the need to be proactive in labour-related issues that will arise therefrom.

“The NEC-in-Session demands that facilities such as depots, jetties, tank farms, pipelines and pump stations be rehabilitated along with the refineries to ease supply of crude oil to the refineries as well as evacuation and distribution of refined products throughout the country,” the communiqué reads.

Some of the issues deliberated on at the NEC meeting include the early passage of the PIB, attacks on national assets, rehabilitation of refineries and other government owned oil installations, anti-labour posture and practices of indigenous companies and marginal field operators, contract and casual staffing, infrastructural decay and national industrial relations crisis, among others.